INTRODUCTION
Statement of the problem
Listening has become increasingly important in foreign language learning, particularly in acquiring English as a foreign language Experts like Rubin & Thompson emphasize that the initial focus should be on developing listening skills.
Listening is arguably the most crucial language skill, as individuals dedicate around 60% of their time to this activity It allows learners to develop a sense of the language, enhancing their overall proficiency Without effective listening skills, participating in conversations in a foreign language becomes challenging.
Listening is an essential skill for foreign language students, as highlighted by Rost (1994, p 141), and serves as a strong predictor of language achievement Therefore, it plays a crucial role in the process of learning a foreign language.
Currently, listening is an integral part of English syllabuses across all levels of Vietnamese education However, for a long time, English textbooks in Vietnam primarily focused on grammar, translation, and reading, neglecting listening skills Consequently, listening has become the most challenging skill to teach and learn compared to other language skills.
After over two years of teaching English at Hanoi University of Industry, the writer has observed that non-English major students show a lack of interest in listening lessons, often avoiding listening tasks and performing poorly on listening tests This raises the need to identify effective strategies to enhance students' listening skills.
The above reasons have encouraged the writer to carry out the study entitled:
"Action research on applying the interactive approach to develop listening skills for second-year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry"
Aims of the study
This study is designed with the aim to investigate whether applying the interactive approach helps students improve their listening skills in English
In order to achieve this aim, the following objectives are set out for the study:
- To gain the understanding of the difficulties encountered by second-year non- English major students at Hanoi University of Industry in listening lessons
- To experiment and investigate the effects of using the interactive approach to teaching listening to second-year non-English major students.
Research questions
In order to achieve the objectives above, two research questions are raised:
1 What difficulties do the second-year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry encounter in listening lessons?
2 What are the effects of applying the interactive approach to teaching listening for second-year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry?
Scope of the study
This study focuses on utilizing the interactive approach to enhance listening skills among second-year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry Over a 12-week period, the approach is implemented in three stages of a listening lesson: pre-listening, while-listening, and post-listening The research involves a sample of 42 students from the E6.1_K9 class, aiming to address their challenges in learning listening skills effectively.
Methodology of the study
The researcher employs Nunan's action research model (1992) to guide her study, utilizing a quantitative method for an in-depth exploration of the topic Data is collected from two primary sources.
- Pre-test and post-test
Pre-test and post-test assessments evaluate participants' listening performance before and after the research Following these tests, two questionnaires are administered to validate and enhance the findings of the assessments.
Significance of the study
This study highlights the impact of an interactive approach on enhancing students' listening skills and offers valuable pedagogical insights The findings can serve as a reference for English teachers seeking to adopt more effective teaching methods Additionally, sharing these results may assist the researcher and her colleagues in refining their instructional techniques.
Structure of the study
There are three main parts in this study:
Part A: Introduction, presents the statement of the problem, aims, research questions, scope, methodology, significance and structure of the study
Part B: Development, which is divided into 3 chapters:
Chapter I: “Literature review”, sets up theoretical background that is relevant to the purpose of the study
Chapter II: “ Methodology”, indicates the rationale of using action research, the setting, the selection of participants, the data collection instruments and data analysis procedures
Chapter III: “Findings and discussion”, discusses the findings of application of the interactive approach on teaching and learning listening skills for second-year non- English major student at Hanoi University of Industry
Part C: Conclusion, summarizes the key issues in the study, gives the implications, points out the limitations and provides some suggestions for further study
LITERATURE REVIEW
Theory on listening
In terms of listening definitions, Anderson and Lynch (1988) have two influential views: traditional view and alternative view
Traditionally, listening has been viewed as a receptive skill where learners focus solely on understanding the spoken messages without considering factors like attitude and nuances This approach often results in teachers assessing only students' hearing abilities rather than their comprehension of the conversation Consequently, it suggests that listening instruction emphasizes sounds over meaning, a perspective criticized by Anderson and Lynch (1988) for being inadequate and inappropriate.
Learners are viewed as active model builders in the listening process, where new information is integrated with their existing knowledge for better comprehension According to Anderson and Lynch (1988), this perspective highlights the importance of listeners actively interpreting and integrating incoming information Similarly, Littlewood (1981) emphasizes that effective listening requires active involvement, urging listeners to engage in a meaningful listening process that utilizes both linguistic cues and non-linguistic knowledge.
Listening is an active process where individuals focus on specific aspects of aural input to construct meaning, connecting new information to their existing knowledge (Bentley & Bacon, 1996) This process involves applying both linguistic and non-linguistic knowledge to incoming sounds, highlighting that comprehension occurs when new input aligns with prior knowledge (Buck, 2001; Faerch & Kasper, 1986).
To achieve success in listening comprehension, it is essential to recognize that this skill cannot be mastered permanently and neglected while focusing on other abilities Regular practice with progressively challenging materials is crucial for continuous improvement (Wilga, 1986, p 157).
Listening can be categorized into various types based on factors such as the listener's purpose, their role, and the nature of the material being heard.
Many students perceive a significant disparity between classroom listening activities and real-life conversations This gap arises because listening materials, such as textbook dialogues, are heavily focused on grammar and often feature speakers with controlled speech, tone, and accent In contrast, actual conversations involve a diverse range of speakers, including variations in gender, age, and speech patterns, presenting learners with challenges such as improper usage, incomplete sentences, and overlapping dialogue.
There are two ways which people often listen in real-life, they are casual and focus listening
Many students engage in casual listening while studying, often having the radio or television on without a specific purpose This type of listening contrasts with focused listening, where individuals actively concentrate on the content.
Focus listening occurs when individuals listen with a specific purpose, such as acquiring information or studying a language In this scenario, listeners pay close attention but prioritize certain details over others The relationship between a listener's expectations and their purpose significantly influences comprehension; when expectations are clear and intentional, listeners are more likely to accurately perceive and understand relevant information.
Classroom listening may be divided into two types: intensive listening and extensive listening a) Intensive listening
Intensive listening involves focused attention on a brief audio passage to grasp detailed information and achieve full comprehension, such as analyzing a dialogue in an English class to understand its structure and intonation patterns In contrast, extensive listening encompasses broader listening practices that promote overall language skills and fluency.
Extensive listening involves engaging with natural language and general ideas without focusing on specific details or requiring teacher guidance The listening materials can vary in length and are typically tailored to the students' language proficiency, making them enjoyable and interesting This approach does not aim to reinforce specific structures or practice grammar points related to the overall course content.
Numerous linguists, including Anderson and Lynch (1998), Underwood (1989), and Brown (1990), have conducted research on listening skills, emphasizing that the listening process is complex rather than a simple activity This intricate process involves multiple stages, starting with the physical processing of sound through the outer, middle, and inner ear, followed by the transmission of nerve impulses Ultimately, the listening experience takes place in the brain, where various sub-processes contribute to comprehension.
Van Duzer (1997) outlines nine key activities involved in the listening process: (1) establishing a purpose for listening; (2) encoding the raw speech into short-term memory; (3) organizing the information by identifying the type of speech event and its function; (4) predicting the content of the message; (5) recalling relevant background knowledge to aid in interpretation; (6) assigning meaning to the message; (7) verifying comprehension; (8) deciding what information will be retained in long-term memory; and (9) discarding the original message from short-term memory.
Looking at the issue from other perspectives, other scientists assign listening process to a parallel processing model with bottom-up processing and top-down processing
Nunan (1992) describes the bottom-up processing model as a linear listening process that involves decoding sounds from the smallest meaningful units, known as phonemes, to complete texts In this model, phonemic units are first decoded and then connected to form words, which are subsequently linked to create phrases, leading to the formation of utterances, and ultimately, complete texts.
Students must understand the code that decodes sounds, which involves knowing how sounds function, how they combine, and how this combination can vary This linear process leads to meaning as the final outcome This approach is likened to a "tape recorder" view of listening, where listeners absorb and retain messages sequentially, processing one sound, word, phrase, and utterance at a time (Anderson & Lynch, 1988).
Bottom-up processes play a crucial role in how a listener's linguistic competence contributes to message comprehension As noted by Peterson (2001), these lower-level processes involve constructing meaning through the recognition of sounds and words, which are then organized into larger phrasal units and connected to related concepts in long-term memory Consequently, individuals with lower levels of language proficiency may experience significant strain on their conscious attention and working memory due to the reliance on bottom-up processing.
Teaching listening skills
Preparing learners for what they are about to hear enhances their interest and clarifies the listening objectives, similar to how we prepare for real-life scenarios (Davies & Pearse, 2000).
To maximize students' comprehension during listening activities, it is essential to establish foundational knowledge beforehand This preparatory stage serves crucial purposes, including enhancing engagement and ensuring that students are well-equipped to understand the material they will encounter.
- To motivate students to pay more attention to the listening text
- To activate or build students' prior topical and linguistic knowledge It is important for students to be able to relate what they already know to the speaker's content
- To help the students match what they hear with their stored knowledge by activating their prior knowledge about the coming topics
- To set purposes for listening: When students set purposes for listening, they become active listeners who listen for something, not to it
To effectively prepare students for listening activities, teachers can introduce the topic, provide background information, and offer clear instructions Additionally, guiding students on the structure of the content, discussing the topic, examining relevant images, and reviewing questions can enhance their focus These strategies help narrow down expectations and activate prior knowledge, ultimately improving comprehension of the listening passage.
The while-listening stage consists of activities designed to engage students as they listen to a text, aiming to enhance their ability to extract messages from spoken language According to Rixon (1986), the primary goals of this stage are to challenge and guide students in processing the information and messages conveyed in the listening text Consequently, it is essential that the activities in this phase are both interesting and thoughtfully selected to maximize student engagement and learning outcomes.
Effective while-listening activities must possess two key characteristics: they should be engaging enough to motivate students to listen and complete the tasks, and they should be appropriate for the skill level of most students It is essential to design these activities with these factors in mind to enhance student participation and learning outcomes.
14 listening activities which are a challenge for the more advanced students, but do not discourage those who only gain little success
When selecting while-listening activities, teachers should consider several key factors, as highlighted by Underwood (1989) These include the ability to adjust the difficulty level as needed, the practicality of conducting activities that require oral responses from students in the classroom, and whether the tasks can be completed with the teacher present or as self-study, either in a listening center or at home Additionally, teachers should think about the materials or ideas available for post-listening work and ensure that there is a mechanism for providing immediate feedback on students' task performance.
The post-listening stage encompasses activities conducted after completing the listening task, serving as extensions of pre-listening and while-listening stages or loosely related to the listening text This phase is crucial for several reasons, as outlined by Underwood (1989) Firstly, it assesses students' comprehension and the completion of the listening task Secondly, it allows reflection on why some students may have struggled to understand certain parts of the passage Additionally, post-listening activities aim to expand on the topic or language presented in the listening text and provide students with the chance to analyze the speaker's manner and attitude.
To achieve these above-mentioned purposes, the followings are possible activities:
- Teachers give the answers orally, or show the answers on the black board
Teachers guide students' attention to key elements of the listening text, emphasizing the forms and functions, vocabulary, stress, and intonation that have posed challenges for learners.
- Students work in pairs to check each other's answer or in groups to discuss any problems related to the listening text
1.2.2 Interactive process in teaching listening skills
Listening is an active and intricate process that necessitates the conscious application of strategies by listeners It involves parallel processing, where both bottom-up and top-down processing interact This means that learners draw on their background knowledge (top-down) to make sense of what they hear while using linguistic knowledge (bottom-up) to identify familiar sounds The ultimate aim is for language listeners to effectively perceive, interpret, and respond to the information they receive (Lynch & Mendelsohn, 2009, p 185).
Listeners' reliance on top-down or bottom-up processing is influenced by their language knowledge, topic familiarity, and listening purpose For instance, listening for gist mainly utilizes top-down processing, while listening for specific information, like in a weather report, relies on bottom-up processing to grasp necessary details The subsequent sections will delve into the teaching of these two processing methods.
Brown (2007) emphasizes that bottom-up processing involves the analysis of sounds, words, intonation, and grammatical structures in spoken language Consequently, for effective bottom-up text processing, learners must possess a substantial vocabulary and a solid understanding of sentence structures.
Exercises that require bottom-up processing develop the learner’s ability to do the following:
- Retain input while it is being processed
- Recognize word and clause divisions
- Recognize key transitions in a discourse
- Recognize grammatical relationships between key elements in sentences
- Use stress and intonation to identify word and sentence functions
Peterson (1991, p 114-121) suggests several techniques for teaching listening comprehension Below are some kinds of bottom-up exercises for beginners
Discriminating between intonation contour in sentences
- Listen to a sequence of sentence patterns with either rising or falling intonation Place a check in column 1 (rising) or column 2 (falling), depending on the pattern you hear
Engage in selective listening by identifying pairs of words that either share the same final consonant or differ Circle "same" for matching endings and "different" for distinct sounds This exercise focuses on recognizing morphological endings through auditory discrimination.
- Listen to a series of sentence Circle "yes" if the verb has -ed ending, and circle "no" if it does not
Selecting details from the text (Word recognition)
- Match a word that you hear with its picture
- Listen to a weather report Look at a list of words and circle the words that you hear
- Listen to a sentence that contains clock time Circle the clock time that you hear, among three choices
- Listen to an advertisement, select the price of an item, and write the amount on a price tag
To analyze a series of messages from an answering machine, carefully listen to each caller and document key details in a chart Record the caller's name, phone number, time of the call, and the content of their message Focus on understanding the normal sentence structure to accurately capture the information provided.
- Listen to a short dialogue and fill in the missing words that have been deleted in partial transcript
Table 1: Some kinds of bottom-up exercises for beginners 1.2.2.2 Teaching top-down processing
Top-down processing involves how listeners leverage their context and existing knowledge—such as topic, genre, culture, and other long-term memory schemas—to create a conceptual framework that aids in comprehension.
Exercises that require top-down processing develop the learner’s ability to do the following:
- Use key words to construct the schema of a discourse
- Infer the setting for a text
- Infer the role of the participants and their goals
- Infer unstated details of a situation
- Anticipate questions related to the topic or situation
Peterson (1991, p 114-121) also suggests some kinds of top-down exercises for beginners
- Listen to statement about a vacation and decide whether or not the speaker enjoys the vacation Get the gist or main idea of a passage
- Listen to a dialogue and decide what type of weather is being described
- Listen to a series of short conversations and for each one mark a picture being described that shows where the picture took place
- Listen to a number of short biographies and for each, write the title that expresses the main idea
Identifying relevant discussion topics is crucial when people are unfamiliar with each other By observing conversations, you can predict which subjects are likely to arise Pay attention to the themes being discussed, as this will help you understand common interests and facilitate better communication.
- Listen to a series of process descriptions and mark the picture that it tells about
Table 2: Some kinds of top-down exercises for beginners
Review of previous works
Al-Qaraghooly & Al-Bermani (2010) conduct a research on the effect of bottom-up and top-down processing on developing EFL students’ listening comprehension
The study involved 128 second-year English students from the College of Education at the University of Babylon, divided into two groups: Section A with 53 students for bottom-up processing and Section B with 53 students for top-down processing A pilot sample of 24 students was also selected The findings reveal that both groups achieved success in listening comprehension, suggesting that integrating bottom-up and top-down processing simultaneously enhances learners' listening skills more effectively than using each method in isolation.
Listening comprehension is a complex and interactive process that involves both bottom-up and top-down processing, ultimately aimed at understanding auditory stimuli.
Villegas (2013) conducted a study on the impact of bottom-up and top-down processing in listening comprehension tasks among second-semester English license students Over a month, six participants engaged in listening tasks designed by the researcher The findings revealed that the guided use of strategies such as inferring, contextualization, and prediction enabled learners to connect prior knowledge with new information, enhancing their audio comprehension Additionally, students reported a positive perception of these strategies, noting that both bottom-up and top-down approaches improved their listening skills and highlighted the importance of utilizing available information to identify specific details.
Dao Thi Hong Yen (2014) conducted an MA thesis focusing on the implementation of top-down techniques to enhance listening skills among 10th-grade non-English major students at Tam Duong High School The study involved 35 English learners, aiming to assess the effectiveness of these techniques in improving their listening comprehension.
A quantitative study involving 19 non-major 10th grade students over two months utilized pre-tests, post-tests, and questionnaires to gather data The findings indicate that top-down techniques significantly improve students' listening comprehension skills.
Research indicates that integrating bottom-up and top-down processing significantly enhances students' listening skills While both methods have distinct benefits, their combination yields optimal teaching and learning outcomes Many learners are beginning to recognize and apply these strategies to boost their listening comprehension Additionally, studies in Vietnam have explored discourse processing in teaching listening; however, they often emphasize either bottom-up or top-down approaches Therefore, adopting an interactive process is highly recommended for more effective listening instruction.
Concluding remarks
This chapter outlines the essential literature that establishes the theoretical and conceptual framework for the study of listening comprehension It begins by defining key concepts from leading scholars, followed by an exploration of the various types of listening, the listening process, and the factors that influence it The discussion then shifts to the teaching of listening, detailing the three stages of a listening lesson and the interactive processes involved Each stage serves a distinct purpose and incorporates specific activities designed to enhance the effectiveness of the listening task, emphasizing that these activities are interconnected rather than isolated Finally, the chapter reviews previous studies relevant to the thesis, offering readers a comprehensive overview of the research area.
METHODOLOGY
Research setting
Hanoi University of Industry, situated in the suburbs of Hanoi, Vietnam's northeastern capital, employs around 200 English teachers and serves approximately 30,000 non-English major students across various faculties.
Many students, primarily from farming families across various provinces, have had limited exposure to English, studying it for four years in secondary school and three years in high school under poor conditions They view English merely as a mandatory subject, leading to a lack of motivation and improvement in their speaking and listening skills Despite a year of experience with modern equipment at the university, the impact has been minimal Classroom observations reveal that students often find listening lessons boring and feel they gain little from them, highlighting the need for more effective teaching methods to enhance their listening abilities.
Non-English major students have utilized the KET course book during their second year, which is designed using theme-based and task-based methodologies The book features 20 concise units, along with 10 exam folders and 5 writing folders, structured over 180 periods across two terms, with students attending 6 English periods each week.
Selection of participants
The study involves 42 second-year non-English major students from class E 6.1_K9 at Hanoi University of Industry These participants, who are part of the intact class taught by the researcher, generally struggle with English, particularly in listening skills However, they demonstrate a strong desire to improve their proficiency, aiming to communicate fluently and deliver effective speeches.
Data collection instruments
In order to collect sufficient data for the study, a number of instruments are employed: questionnaires, pre-test and post-test
2.4.1 Pre-test and post-test
To evaluate the effectiveness of the listening instruction, the researcher implemented a pre-test and a post-test focused on English listening skills These tests, detailed in Appendices 1 and 2, utilize commonly used formats that students are already accustomed to, ensuring familiarity and relevance in assessing their listening performance.
The pre-test and post-test for English listening share similarities in format, instructions, length, difficulty level, and time allocation Each test comprises four tasks with a total of 20 questions: Task 1 features 5 picture questions, Task 2 includes 5 matching questions, Task 3 offers 5 multiple-choice questions, and Task 4 presents 5 gap-filling questions By evaluating the results of both tests, the researcher aims to identify any improvements in students' listening skills resulting from the experimental teaching.
Two questionnaires are used to get student's opinions before and after the application of the interactive approach to teaching listening
The former questionnaire (see Appendix 3) is conducted after the pre-test It consists of six questions These questions aim to investigate students’ attitudes towards
The study examines 23 listening skills, focusing on self-assessment of listening performance, the application of listening strategies, challenges faced by students, and their expectations from teachers By analyzing questionnaire results alongside pre-test outcomes, the researcher aims to identify potential issues affecting students' listening abilities.
The post-test questionnaire (see Appendix 4) consists of eight questions designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive approach in listening lessons, structured around a three-stage listening process Its primary goal is to assess the improvement in students' listening skills and their engagement with the interactive lessons Prior to distribution to 42 students, the questionnaire was translated into Vietnamese to ensure comprehensive understanding of the questions.
Data analysis procedures
The action process was conducted over a period of 12 weeks of the school year 2015-
2016 in applying Nunan’s action research cycle (1992, p 19) with four steps as follows:
After two weeks of teaching the E6.1_K9 class and drawing from two years of experience at the university, the researcher identified a notable weakness in her students' listening skills.
In order to address the challenges students faced in developing listening skills, the researcher-teacher implemented a pre-test and survey questionnaire during the third week of the study The data collected was analyzed to identify students' lack of interest in learning listening skills and to evaluate their listening abilities prior to the introduction of a new teaching approach.
From week 4 to week 11, the interactive aprroach was introduced and applied to teach listening to the students The procedures of teaching lessons were as follows (see
In the pre-listening stage, participants engaged in activities that activated prior knowledge, facilitated predictions, and reviewed essential vocabulary, as outlined in the textbook These activities were either provided in the textbook or specifically designed by the researcher to align with the subjects and the topic at hand.
During the while-listening stage, participants engaged in exercises that emphasized comprehension skills such as selective listening, gist listening, and sequencing Depending on the difficulty of the audio material, subjects had the opportunity to listen again, focusing on challenging sections This approach helped them identify key features of spoken discourse, including blends, reduced words, and ellipsis.
Finally, the subjects were asked to respond to comprehension or give opinions about the topic
To evaluate the impact of the interactive approach, a post-test and post-questionnaire were administered at week 12 The collected data was quantitatively analyzed using a descriptive method to address the research questions.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Preliminary investigation
A study was conducted to examine the challenges faced by second-year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry in their listening skills A questionnaire was distributed to gather insights from the participants, followed by a thorough analysis of their responses In addition to students’ self-assessments, a pre-test was administered by the teacher to evaluate their listening performance prior to implementing a new instructional approach.
3.1.1 Analysis of students’ preliminary questionnaire
3.1.1.1 Students’ attitudes on listening skills
Students’ answers to question 1 and question 2 help the researcher understand their attitudes towards listening skills
Very Rather Little Not at all
Chart 1: Students’ attitude on the importance of listening skills
The data indicates that a significant majority of students possess a positive attitude towards developing listening skills, with 79% recognizing their importance Specifically, 43% of students view learning listening skills as important, while 36% consider it rather important In contrast, only 5% believe that listening skills are not important, and a mere 16% rate their importance as minimal.
Rather Little Not at all
Chart 2: Students’ interest in learning listening skills
The survey results indicate that a majority of students do not enjoy learning listening skills, with 45% expressing only a slight interest Additionally, 33% of respondents reported that they do not like it at all, while 22% showed a moderate level of interest These findings are illustrated in Chart 2.
While 79% of students recognize the importance of developing listening skills, only a few express genuine interest in the activity.
3.1.1.2 Students’ self- assessment of their listening competence
Very good Good Neutral Bad Very bad
Chart 3: Students’ self-assessment of their listening competence
The data in Chart 3 shows that the listening performance of students is not good
The survey results reveal that none of the respondents consider their listening skills to be very good, with only 5% of students rating their performance as good A significant 21% self-evaluate their listening abilities as very bad, while 45% rate them as bad Additionally, 29% of students fall somewhere in between these extremes.
A recent assessment revealed that 27 students lack awareness of their listening performance, indicating a low proficiency in listening skills Notably, their attitudes toward the importance of listening skills appear unaffected by their actual performance levels.
3.1.1.3 Students' use of strategies in listening
Chart 4: Students' use of strategies in listening
A survey revealed that 38.1% of respondents utilize listening strategies, while 61.9% do not This indicates that students who actively employ listening strategies tend to achieve higher listening comprehension, as supported by test results and their engagement in classroom activities.
A Speaking speed of the speakers 92.8%
E Lack of background knowledge about the topic 19%
Table 3: Students’ difficulties in learning listening
The questionnaire data reveals that the majority of students identify a lack of vocabulary and speaking speed as the primary obstacles to their listening comprehension Notably, 95.2% of students reported that insufficient vocabulary significantly hampers their listening skills, while 92.8% struggle to keep up with the speech rate Additionally, 71.4% of respondents find the speakers' stress and intonation challenging, noting that these features differ from their native language, making adaptation difficult.
In a recent study, the structures of spoken language were identified as the fourth most significant challenge for students' listening skills, affecting 66.6% of participants Additionally, various and unfamiliar accents posed difficulties for 59.5% of students Furthermore, 19% of students reported that a lack of background knowledge on topics hindered their listening comprehension Lastly, a small minority of 11.9% indicated that inadequate listening equipment negatively impacted their learning experience.
A Provide certain amount of new words needed for listening activities 92.8%
B Equip necessary strategies needed for each kind of listening task 92.8%
C Design suitable listening tasks to students' listening levels and interests 45.2%
D Recommend other supplementary materials beside classroom activities 30.9%
Table 4: Students' expectation towards teachers
According to Table 4, 92.8% of students express a desire to learn new vocabulary for listening tasks, matching the percentage seeking essential listening strategies Additionally, 45.2% prefer listening tasks that align with their interests and skill levels, while 30.9% wish for supplementary materials to aid their self-study Furthermore, students have requested teachers to explain components of spoken language, including clustering, redundancy, reduced forms, and colloquial language, as indicated in their questionnaires.
- "Teacher should stop at the phrase or sentences that students may not recognize the words, then explain whether it is in short form, colloquial pattern and so on."
Teachers should provide students with the tape script after completing listening tasks, allowing them to follow along as the tape is replayed This approach helps students identify specific words and phrases they are hearing, enhancing their comprehension and listening skills.
- "Teacher can sometimes play an English song or a short video with activities for us to learn and relax."
These information suggests that teachers should be flexible in teaching techniques so that they can help students overcome difficulties in language learning, especially in listening comprehension
3.1.2 Results of students’ pre-test
Score Number of testees Percentage
Table 5: The overall results of students’ pre-test
The findings indicate that students' listening performance is subpar, with no student achieving a score above 8 Only 9.5% of students scored more than 7, while a significant 52.4% received marks of 5 or 6 Alarmingly, 38.1% of students, totaling 16 individuals, scored below 5, highlighting a concerning trend in listening skills.
From the result, it can be seen clearly that the majority of the students have evaluated their listening skills accurately
In conclusion, the preliminary investigation reveals that while most students understand the significance of listening skills, they often lack motivation to learn and exhibit poor listening performance due to various challenges To enhance students' listening abilities, it is recommended that effective strategies be implemented.
Evaluation
Following the intervention phase, a post-test was administered to evaluate the effectiveness of the interactive approach in teaching listening skills to second-year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry This assessment aimed to answer the second research question regarding the impact of the interactive teaching method compared to the pre-test results.
3.2.1 Comparison of results from students' pre-test and post-test
The students' post-test listening scores are presented in the following table:
Score Number of testees Percentage
Table 6: The overall results of students’ post-test
The effectiveness of the interactive approach on students' listening performance can be evaluated by comparing the results of pre-test and post-test assessments, as illustrated in Chart 5 below.
Chart 5: Comparison of the results from pre-test and post-test
Chart 5 shows the results of students’ listening scores in pre-test and post-test Obviously, students’ listening scores have increased Specifically, there is a student getting mark 2 in pre-test, but none gets that mark in post-test On the contrary, there is no one getting a really good mark in pre-test, but one student gets mark 9 in post-test There is a considerable increase in the number of students getting marks 4,
5, or 6, whereas the number of students getting marks 7 or 8 increases From these figures, it can be seen that the interactive approach really helps students to improve their listening skills
3.2.2 Analysis of the students' post questionnaire
To be more detailed in evaluation of students’ improvements in learning the new approach, the questionnaire was given to 42 participants to collect data after the post-test
3.2.2.1 Activities motivating students in pre-listening stage
Options Percentage a Learning new words 73.8% b Introducing new grammar structures 57.1% c Giving back ground information 47.6% d Brainstorming, discussing the topic in pairs or groups 30.9% e Answering the relevant questions 11.9%
Table 7: Activities motivating students in pre-listening stage
The data indicates that the most effective pre-listening activity for motivating students is learning new vocabulary, with a response rate of 73.8% This is closely followed by the introduction of new grammar structures at 57.1% and providing background information at 47.6% These statistics reveal that students are keen on acquiring vocabulary, grammar, and contextual knowledge related to listening lessons prior to engaging with the audio material Additionally, a smaller percentage of students prefer starting lessons with brainstorming discussions (30.9%) or answering relevant questions (11.9%), suggesting a desire to establish a general understanding before listening.
3.2.2.2 Activities attracting students in while-listening stage
Being asked: “In the while-listening stage, which activities attracted you?” students reported as follows
In a recent analysis of comprehension strategies, several key percentages emerged: 69% of respondents recognized key words, while 64.3% identified word and clause divisions Additionally, 61.9% were able to recognize key transitions in discourse, and 54.8% used stress and intonation to discern word and sentence functions Notably, 50% utilized key words to construct the schema of a discourse However, lower percentages were observed in other areas, such as anticipating questions (14.3%) and inferring unstated details (9.5%) Overall, these findings highlight the varying degrees of proficiency in understanding and processing discourse elements.
Table 8: Activities attracting students in while-listening stage
In a listening lesson utilizing an interactive approach, various activities are essential for engaging students Feedback reveals that a significant majority of students favor activities focused on key words (69%), word and clause divisions (64.3%), and key transitions (61.9%) This preference likely stems from the fact that grasping key words, understanding clause divisions, and recognizing key transitions facilitate better comprehension of spoken texts.
A significant 54.8% of students prefer using stress and intonation to understand word and sentence functions Additionally, 50% and 47.6% of students express a desire to utilize key words for constructing schemas and recognizing grammatical relationships in sentences Furthermore, 40.5% and 35.7% of students acknowledge that inferring the setting, participant roles, and goals enhances their task completion However, only 21.4% of students wish to retain input during processing Challenges remain, as only 14.3% and 9.5% of students engage in anticipating questions or inferring causes and effects related to the topic in listening tasks.
The data presented indicates that the teacher has effectively integrated interactive activities into her listening lessons, as evidenced by the positive recognition and responses from students.
3.2.2.3 Useful and effective activities for students after listening
Options Percentage a Retelling the main ideas 38% b Discussing in groups or in pairs 19% c Plays roles based on listening content 47.6% d Summarize the text 33.3% e Other ideas 7.1%
Table 9: Useful activities for students after listening
According to Table 9, the most favored post-listening activity among students is role-playing, with 47.6% expressing its effectiveness in enhancing speaking skills and pronunciation Additionally, 38% of students engage in retelling main ideas, while 33.3% focus on summarizing texts Group and pair discussions attract 19% of students, who view them as beneficial for checking comprehension of the listening material Students also suggest that teachers replay the audio, pausing to clarify difficult sentences and discussing colloquialisms, word combinations, and components of spoken language Emphasizing these aspects can significantly improve communication skills, highlighting the importance of teachers considering student feedback to optimize learning outcomes.
3.2.2.4 Students’ opinions about the listening tasks
Options Percentage a Interesting 31% b Effective 43% c Difficult 14.3% d Boring 2.4% e Stressful 4.8% f Other ideas 0%
Table 10: Students’ opinions on the listening tasks
The data indicates that students generally have a positive attitude towards the listening tasks assigned by their teacher, with 43% believing these tasks enhance their learning effectively and 31% finding them interesting However, 21.5% of students express negative feedback, highlighting challenges such as difficulty (14.3%), boredom (2.4%), and stress (4.8%) associated with the tasks.
The teacher has made significant efforts to design engaging listening tasks that most students find interesting and beneficial However, these tasks do not fully meet the diverse needs of all students, leading a few to perceive them as difficult, boring, or stressful To enhance learning experiences, it is essential to diversify tasks to align with the varying interests and learning requirements of students.
3.2.2.5 Students’ opinions about the teaching methods
Teachers' instructional methods are most effectively demonstrated through their organization of learning activities for students When asked about their perspectives on teaching methods, students expressed a variety of opinions regarding their teachers' performance in the classroom, as illustrated in the chart below.
Options Percentage a Motivating 38.1% b Interesting 52.4% c Tense/ stressful 2.4% d Demotivating 7.1% e Boring 7.1% f Other ideas 0%
Table 11: Students’ opinions on the teaching methods
The data indicates that students generally have a favorable view of the teacher's organization of listening activities, with 52.4% finding the teaching styles interesting and 38.1% feeling motivated by the methods used These effective teaching strategies successfully capture students' attention, foster curiosity, and enhance listening comprehension However, it is important to note that 16.6% of students expressed dissatisfaction, feeling that some techniques were demotivating and led to boredom and strain during listening lessons.
The data indicates that the teacher's methods and performance have significantly influenced the listening comprehension of second-year non-English major students Therefore, it is essential to diversify and adapt teaching styles to align with the varied learning preferences and interests of students.
3.2.2.6 Students’ opinions about learning listening with the interactive approach
Students’ responses to the question of whether they like learning listening with the interactive approach or not are presented in the following chart
Chart 6: Students’ opinions on learning listening with the interactive approach
The chart reveals that 88.1% of students prefer listening lessons that utilize an interactive approach, as it helps them engage step-by-step in grasping the overall meaning rather than just focusing on specific words or sounds This method provides valuable knowledge and tips that many students were previously unaware of Conversely, 11.9% of students express a dislike for the interactive approach, citing its complexity due to the multiple steps involved in the listening lessons, while others find certain tasks to be quite challenging.
3.2.2.7 Students’ opinions about their listening skills after the course
Concluding remarks
This chapter presents key findings from the study, highlighting students' attitudes towards listening skills, their self-assessment of performance, and the listening strategies they employ, along with their expectations of teachers and the six challenges they encounter in learning The comparison of pre-test and post-test results indicates a positive impact of the interactive approach on listening instruction Additionally, the questionnaire reveals motivating activities for students during listening lessons, their feedback on tasks and teaching methods, and their perceptions of the interactive approach, as well as their progress in listening skills following the course.
Recapitulation
A researcher conducted an action research study to implement an interactive approach aimed at enhancing listening skills among second-year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry The primary objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of this method in improving students' listening abilities.
This study explores the challenges faced by students in developing listening skills and examines the effects of an interactive approach on their listening performance Through the analysis of data gathered from 42 participants using pre-tests, post-tests, and two questionnaires, the researcher has successfully addressed the research questions.
1.1 Difficulties the students encounter when studying listening skills
The pre-test results and preliminary questionnaire indicate that while most students recognize the importance of mastering listening skills, they express a dislike for learning this aspect and demonstrate poor listening performance This challenge arises from several difficulties encountered during the listening process, including a lack of vocabulary, unfamiliar structures of spoken language, varying speech rates, diverse accents, issues with stress and intonation, and insufficient background knowledge on the topics being discussed.
1.2 The effects of applying the interactive approach to teach listening skills
This research investigates the impact of the interactive approach on enhancing students' listening skills The analysis of pre-test and post-test results indicates a significant improvement in students' listening scores Furthermore, a subsequent questionnaire demonstrates that a majority of students express a keen interest in learning listening through this interactive method Consequently, it can be concluded that the interactive approach yields positive outcomes in teaching listening to second-year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry.
Implications
2.1 The necessity of applying the interactive approach
According to Brown (1990), while bottom-up processing is essential, it alone cannot ensure complete understanding for listeners; top-down processing plays a vital role in comprehension The study's findings suggest that an interactive approach, combining both bottom-up and top-down strategies, should be implemented in teaching listening skills to second-year students at Hanoi University of Industry.
Vocabulary is the cornerstone of language teaching and learning, as a limited word bank can significantly impede students' listening comprehension Therefore, it is essential for teachers to ensure that students grasp the meanings and pronunciations of new vocabulary, enabling them to better understand spoken texts and mimic the accurate pronunciation of native speakers Additionally, educators should highlight the importance of stress and intonation, which are unique characteristics of spoken English that differ from students' native languages By focusing on these elements, students will experience a marked improvement in their listening skills.
Connected speech presents challenges for beginner learners due to features like weak forms, contractions, elision, assimilation, and catenation (Anderson & Lynch, 1998) To mitigate these difficulties, teachers should educate students about these characteristics of spoken language, ensuring they feel comfortable and prepared when engaging with authentic listening materials It is essential for educators to provide examples of common instances of elision, weak forms, contractions, and assimilation, helping students familiarize themselves with these elements By focusing on these aspects, students can enhance their listening skills and become more proficient listeners.
To enhance students' listening skills, it is crucial to address challenges such as diverse accents, varying speech rates, and redundancy Increased exposure to different types of spoken English will significantly improve their comprehension abilities.
In listening lessons, teachers should encourage students to not only discern the speaker's emotions but also to infer their opinions It is essential for educators to clarify that hesitations and background noise are common in natural speech, which means students must remain attentive and self-assured when encountering these elements in spontaneous spoken English.
Background knowledge is crucial for effective listening, as it enables students to understand and relate to new concepts and experiences Educators should equip students with relevant background information on a topic, allowing them to integrate new insights with their existing knowledge.
2.2 The necessity of arousing students’ motivation and interest
The study reveals that a comfortable learning environment significantly enhances students' motivation and interest in listening comprehension High motivation correlates with increased effort and a greater likelihood of success in second language acquisition Researchers highlight a reciprocal relationship between motivation and achievement; as students cultivate motivation, they engage more actively in listening lessons Encouraging students to think and discuss the lesson's topic beforehand fosters eagerness and focus, leading to improved attention and comprehension during listening activities.
2.3 Changes in conducting three stages of a listening lesson
Pre-listening serves as a crucial preparatory phase before actual listening activities, emphasizing the need to provide relevant context that mirrors real-life situations and fosters motivation To enhance comprehension, educators should guide learners in narrowing their focus to the pertinent aspects of the upcoming audio input, thereby reducing cognitive load Effective pre-listening activities may include brainstorming sessions and discussions that engage students and set the stage for successful listening experiences.
In the listening text preparation stage, it's essential to limit discussions on the topic to a few minutes to avoid revealing too much of the content Pre-teaching vocabulary should focus on two or three key words crucial for understanding the text, reflecting real-life situations where learners often encounter unfamiliar terms without prior explanation.
Pre-listening activities play a crucial role in engaging learners by activating their background knowledge, transforming them from passive listeners into active participants According to Anderson & Lynch (1988), learners utilize their internal resources to draw inferences and make predictions By organizing group discussions where students can predict content based on given clues, teachers can enhance motivation and participation, ultimately fostering more effective and successful listening skills in the classroom.
While-listening should involve carefully designed activities that enhance the pleasure of success, with task-based exercises being particularly beneficial Learners engage in tasks such as labeling, selecting, form-filling, or completing grids based on information extracted from the text These activities encourage students to express agreement or disagreement, take notes, and create visuals as per instructions Unlike traditional multiple-choice questions, task-based exercises promote the use of diverse listening skills and strategies, fostering active understanding Such activities closely mirror real-life listening responses and offer a reliable method for assessing comprehension, as they compel learners to actively engage with the audio material.
Teachers should offer essential contextual clues, including information about the speakers and their relationships, to assist learners in overcoming challenges they face during listening activities.
While-listening serves as a crucial phase where listeners can openly express their understanding and clarify any difficulties with the teacher, rather than concealing them Additionally, it provides an opportunity for educators to instruct and assist students in developing their listening skills and strategies, ultimately enhancing their success in listening tasks.
Post-listening activities are often overlooked by educators, yet they play a crucial role in reinforcing recently acquired knowledge Engaging students in problem-solving, summarizing, group discussions, and writing tasks enhances their understanding Instead of focusing solely on grammar, teachers can replay the listening text, encouraging students to compare interpretations and foster healthy debates This interactive approach allows students to revise their opinions based on evidence rather than being told who is correct Additionally, these activities promote speaking and writing skills, as students can discuss and present their ideas before composing written responses related to the content.
At the conclusion of the stage, it is essential for teachers to provide and ensure that learners receive constructive feedback on their performance By summarizing and addressing learners' challenges, educators can effectively review difficult concepts Additionally, reinforcing newly acquired skills and strategies encourages students to apply them in their out-of-class listening practice, enhancing their overall learning experience.
Limitations of the study
Due to the limitation of length and time constraints, this work remains some certain limitations
Due to time constraints, the study was limited to a single cycle; however, conducting an additional cycle could enhance students' listening skills by incorporating feedback from the collected data.
The interactive process was tested in a single group over one term, which may limit the investigator's ability to draw comprehensive conclusions Further research is needed to explore the effectiveness of this process in enhancing listening skills among various student groups at Hanoi University of Industry.
The study focuses on 42 students from group E6.1_K9, which may not fully represent the entire population of second-year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry To enhance the findings, it is recommended that future research includes a larger and more diverse sample of students.
Suggestions for further studies
The study's limitations highlight opportunities for further research in teaching listening, particularly with second-year non-English major students who exhibit lower English proficiency To enhance reliability, future studies should involve two equivalent student groups, with only one group utilizing the interactive approach, allowing for a clear comparison of its effectiveness Additionally, it is essential to explore the application of the interactive approach to other language skills, such as reading, speaking, and writing, to improve overall English teaching and learning at Hanoi University of Industry.
It is because language is used as a means of communication, students should be encouraged to develop all four skills which are closely related to one another
Al-Qaraghooly, D.A & Al-Bermani, H K K (2010) The Effect of Top-down and
Bottom-up Processing on Develoing EFL Students’ Listening Comprehension
AL-Fatih Journal No.45 December
Anderson, A & Lynch, T (1988) Listening Oxford University Press
Bentley, S & Bacon, S E (1996) The all new, state-of-the-art ILA definition of listening: Now that we have it, what do we do with it?, Listening Post, pp 1-5
Brown, G (1990) Listening to Spoken English Longman
Brown, H D (2007) Principles of Language Learning and Teaching Pearson
Buck, G (2001), Assessing Listening Cambridge University Press
Davies, P & Pearse, E (2000), Success in English Teaching Oxford: Oxford
Faerch, C & Kasper, G (1986) “Listening in the Native and Second/ Foreign
Language: Toward an Integration of Research and Practice”, TESOL Quarterly, 25(3), pp 264
Hulstijn, J H (2001) Intentional and Incidental Second Language Vocabulary
Learning: A Reappraisal of Elaboration, Rehearsal and Automaticity (pp
Littlewood, W (1981) Communicative Language Teaching London: Cambridge
Lynch, T & Mendelsohn, D (2009) Listening In N Schmitt (Ed.) Introduction to Applied Linguistics London: Arnold 181-196
Mendelsohn, D (2001) Listening Comprehension: We’ve Come a Long Way, but Contact, 27(2), 33-40
Nunan, D (1992) Research Methods in Language Learning London: Cambridge
Nunan, D (2002) Listening in Language Learning Oxford: Heinemann
Osada, N (2001) Listening Comprehension Research a Brief Review of the past thirty years Recuperado el 10 de June de 2010, de Listening Comprehension
Research: http://talk-waseda.net/dialogue/no03_2004/2004dialogue03_k4.pdf Peterson, P W (1991) A Synthesis of Methods for Interactive Listening Boston:
Peterson, P W (2001) Skills and Strategies for Proficient Listening In M Celce- Murcia (Ed.), Teaching English as a Second Foreign Language Boston: Heinle & Heinle
Rixon, S (1986), and Hubbard, R and Others (1984), Developing Listening Skills
Rost, M (1994), Academic Listening Cambridge University Press
Rubin J, Thompson I (1994) How to be a more successful language learner: toward learner autonomy Boston, Mass : Heinle & Heinle Publishers Underwood, M (1989), Teaching Listening Longman Press
Van Duzer, C H (1997) Improving ESL Learners' Listening Skills: At the
Workplace and Beyond National Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education,
Project in Adult Immigrant Education
Villegas, C E H (2013) The Inclusion of Bottom-up and Top-down Strategies in
Listening Comprehension Tasks for Second Semester Students from an English Programa Retrieved from http://www.recursosbiblioteca.utp.edu.co
Wilga, R (1986) Teaching Foreign Language Skill The University of Chicago
In her 2014 unpublished M.A thesis, Dao Thi Hong Yen explores the effectiveness of top-down techniques in enhancing listening skills among 10th-grade non-English major students at Tam Duong High School The study highlights the significance of these strategies in improving comprehension and engagement in language learning By implementing top-down approaches, the research demonstrates a positive impact on students' ability to understand spoken English, thereby contributing valuable insights to the field of language education in Vietnam.
APPENDIX 1 Pre-test (Time allowed: 25 minutes) Task 1: You will hear five short conversation You will hear each conversation twice Put a tick under the right answer
1 What is the man buying for his lunch?
3 Which postcard does the woman choose?
4 How much does the woman pay for the DVD?
5 What did the girl leave at Ben's flat?
Task 2: Listen Dan and Jess talking about evening classes at the community centre What club is on each day? There is one answer for each question
Task 3: Listen to Sam phoning Kate Richards about a Saturday job at her music shop Circle the correct answers
1 The hours for the Saturday job are
2 The job will be mainly
3 How much can Sam earn?
4 Where is the music shop?
B In the centre of town
C Across the river from Sam’s home
5 Which day will Sam visit the shop?
Task 4: You will hear a woman asking for information about a festival Listen and complete the question
Type of Festival: Food and
APPENDIX 2 Post-test (Time allowed: 25 minutes) Task 1: You will hear five short conversation You will hear each conversation twice Put a tick under the right answer
1 What time will the train arrive?
2 What does the man want to buy?
3 Where is the post office?
5 How long will the man stay at the hotel in total?
Task 2: Listen to Sam talking about his holiday What did he do for each day? There is one answer for each question
Task 3: Listen to Vanessa telling Paul about a visit to see a special James Bond exhibition at the Science Museum in London Circle the correct answers
1 Vanessa went to the museum
2 Vanessa really liked James Bond's
4 For lunch Vanessa decided to
5 The exhibition will finish on
Task 4: You will hear a woman asking for information about a city bus tour Listen and complete the question
Bus Tours depart… Every minutes
Tour Bus Office Address: Street
Buses leave from The Hall
APPENDIX 3 Questionnaire after the Pre-test
This survey questionnaire is designed to gather your opinion for my thesis
"Action research on applying the interactive approach to develop listening skills for second-year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry"
We greatly appreciate your participation in this questionnaire, as the data collected will be used solely for research purposes and kept strictly confidential Your honest responses are crucial for the success of this investigation, so please circle the appropriate answers to the following questions Thank you for your cooperation!
1 How are listening skills important to you?
2 How do you like listening lessons?
3 To what extent do you evaluate your listening skills?
4 Do you use any strategies in listening?
5 Which factors cause difficulties to you in learning listening?
H Speaking speed of the speakers
M Lack of background knowledge about the topic
6 What do you expect your teachers to do to help you overcome the difficulties in listening?
A Provide you with certain amount of new words needed for listening activities
B Equip you with necessary strategies in listening comprehension
C Design more suitable listening tasks to students' listening levels and interests
D Recommend other supplementary materials beside classroom activities
APPENDIX 4 Questionnaire after the Post-test
This survey questionnaire is designed to gather your opinion for my thesis
"Action research on applying the interactive approach to develop listening skills for second-year non-English major students at Hanoi University of Industry"
We greatly appreciate your participation in this questionnaire, as the data collected will solely be used for research purposes and kept strictly confidential To ensure the success of this investigation, please answer truthfully by selecting the appropriate options for the questions provided Thank you for your cooperation!
1 Which activities did teacher do before listening to the tape recording? a Learning new words b Introducing new grammar structures c Giving back ground information d Brainstorming, discussing the topic in pairs or in groups e Answering relevant questions
2 Which activities that teacher asked you to do in while-listening stage? a Retain input while it is being processed b Recognize word and clause divisions c Recognize key words d Recognize key transitions in a discourse e Recognize grammatical relationships between key elements in sentences f Use stress and intonation to identify word and sentence functions g Use the key words to construct the schema of a discourse h Anticipate questions related to the topic or situation i Infer the setting for a text j Infer causes or effects k Infer the role of the participants and their goals l Infer unstated details of a situation
3 After you listen, which activities is the most useful and effective to you? a Retelling the main ideas b Discussing in groups or pairs c Playing roles based on listening content d Summarize the text e Other idea (Please specify)
4 How do you think of the listening tasks that teacher has designed in class? a Interesting b Effective c Difficult d Boring e Stressful f Other idea (Please specify)
5 How do you think of the ways that teacher has organized listening activities in class? a Motivating students b Interesting c Tense/ stressful d Demotivating students e Boring f Other idea (please specify)
6 Do you like learning listening with interactive process?
7 What do you think of your listening skills after a term with interactive listening process? a A lot of improvement b Better c Worse d No improvement e Other idea (Please specify)
1 Target learners: Second-year students at Hanoi University of Industry
- Introduce Ss vocabulary relating to animals
- Listen for main ideas and specific information
- Guide students write a postcard about a visit to a zoo
3 Anticipated problems: Students may get confused with new words and sentences' intonation
5 Materials and aids: KET Student’s book (page 33), laptop, speaker, board, chalk, power point lesson plan
Time Teacher’s activities Students’ activities
- Ask: ''Have you ever been to the zoo?''
"What animals did you see?"
- Teach Ss some new words + bear (n)
+ horse (n) + monkey (n) + elephant (n) + dolphin (n) + lion (n) + cow (n)
- Ask Ss to read after the teacher, and then read loudly in the class
- Before asking Ss to listen to the recording, demonstrate the pronunciation
- Ask Ss to give their sentences
*Task 1: (using top-down technique mainly)
- Ask Ss to read the requirement
- Play the tape twice, asks Ss to order the words in the textbook
- Ask Ss to compare their answers with the partner
- Ask Ss to give their answers
- Ask Ss to predict the gist of the talk based on the words in a group of 3 or 4
- Call some groups to give their answers
- Play the tape again, ask Ss to listen and check the answers
*Task 2: (using bottom-up technique mainly)
- Ask Ss to read through 5 questions to understand the meaning
- Call Ss to give their answers
- Ask others to listen to their friends and
- Listen to the teacher’s comments
- Listen to the tape and order the words
- Compare their answers with the partner
- Predict the gist of the talk based on the words in groups
- Listen again and check their answers
*I like horses, cows, dogs and cats
* I like monkeys, elephants and bears.